Apparatus for cleaning boilers.



No. 762,625; PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904. F. L. EGAN.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

IVlT/VL'SSES INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

F. L. EGAN. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31. 1903.

NO MODEL.

A YYORNEY.

PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

I. L. EGAN. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f INVENTOR. BY =4 6%4/20,

. N0 MODEL.

WITAIESSES:

Q/ zzz, QLWW/ ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904."

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS L. EGAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 762,625, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed October 31, 1903. Serial No. 179,296. (No model.)

To will whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANoIs L. EGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Boilers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus designed for use in removing sedimentary matter, and especially scale that collects in steam-boilers and similar vessels; and it consists in a new and novel device whereby streams may be forced against the inner surface of the shell of a boiler and also against and between the rows of tubes or flues thereof and a supplemental device whereby an abrading substance, as sand,- may be employed in removing such scale as commonly adheres to the internal surfaces of boilers; and the invention consists, further, in the parts and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of this invention is to provide apparatus of this character that may be cheaply made and which may be easily and eifectively operated by unskilled labor in the usual periodical washings of boilers, so that the boilers may be kept in good operative condition without the expense incident to the application of special scaling compounds and waterpurifiers.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken centrally of an end portion of a boiler, showing my apparatus in connection therewith in operative positions; Fig.2, a vertical central sectional view of the sand-reservoir; Figs. 3 and 4:, transverse sectional views illustrating different positions in which my device may be operated in reaching all exterior parts of the flues; Fig. 5, a top plan view of the spraying device; Fig. 6, a rear elevation of the head of the spraying device, and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 detail views showing the several parts comprising the spraying-head.

Similar letters and numerals of reference throughout the several figures of the drawings designate similar parts.

In construction I provide essentially a portable head adapted to be inserted into boilers and to be anchored upon the boiler-flues and having a rotative trunk provided with nozzles arranged so as to project streams radially about the axis of the trunk and a suitable sand-reservoir, whereby a flow of sand may be regulated and combined with the stream of water passing through the spraying device or head. The manner of constructing the anchoring devices may vary according to the type of boiler and arrangement of flues with which the apparatus is to be connected. The devices are preferably constituted substantially as shown in the drawings, in which C designates the head, and D the rotative trunk thereof; F and F swiveled anchor-heads having rotative anchors M; K, a sand-reservoir connected 'with a supply-pipe line J, and the whole rendered operative by a connectinghose I or permissibly by a portable pipe-section. Suitable metal is used in the several parts as experience may dictate as best for the purpose.

The spraying-head C comprises a body part or case in which is a circular water-chamber Z, situate longitudinally of the body and having a side branch 6, in which is an inlet a to the interior of the chamber, the ends of which have each a bore 7 of less diameter than the chamber Z. At the side of the body opposite the branch 6 is a bracket d having at its extremity a circular seat n, in which is rotatably secured a flange m of the anchor-head F by means of a coupling-nut w. The head F has a transverse bore 8, in which is journaled the spindle 0' of the anchor-shaft L, having at the lower end thereof an anchor M, adapted to engage part of the exterior of two adjacent fiues however spaced in their arrangement, so that the anchor may bear against the under sides of the tubes to prevent dislodgment of the spraying-head by the force of the discharging jets of water.

The trunk D is mainly composed of iron piping, but has a bronze portion which works in the body or case of the head. At the bottom of this bronze part is a collar it, where the iron portion is joined, the collar bearing against the lower end of the case. Above the collar the part D is fitted revolubly in the bore 5: and is secured therein by a nut i, fitted to the stem portion D at the top of which is a suitable controlling means, preferably a disk G, having apertures 2, which may be engaged by either the hand of the operator or by a rod having a hook, as a poker, whereby the trunk may be rotated at will to project the jets therefrom toward any part of the boiler. The part D is provided with apertures f,'whereby the water may pass from the chamber Z to the interior of the trunk, the lower end of which, as well as the top, is closed. At suitable points with respect to the flues are inserted nozzles E, each having a bore having a much greater diameter at the inner end 3 and at the outer end 4: than at the center of its length. A leather or fibrous packing-ring P is placed at each end of the chamber Z, bearing against the annular end thereof and fitting closely around the part D, and they are held in place when not in use by means of screws Q. These paeking-rings are designed to prevent sand from gaining access to the journals in the bore 7r: as well as to prevent leakage of water, though the latter is not important. The ring has a flat washer-surface 5 bearing upon the face A and a flexible flange 6 adapted to be contracted against the cylindrical part D.

Upon the branch 0 is secured a gage O,

which may also be employed as a support and is preferably secured by a nut The gage consists of a hub bored to fit over the branch and four arms 7 projecting oppositely at right angles, the width of each arm of which is about equal to the space between two of the fiues B, so that while one arm is situate between the flues two arms rest upon the tops thereof, thus preventing the tilting of the head and the trunk.

The connecting-hose I of the supply-pipe J may in some cases be connected directly to the branch 0; but I prefer to interpose an extension cl, having an angular inlet H, to which the hose is connected, and a supplemental anchor-head F and an anchor in all respects a duplicate of those at the end of the bracket (Z and operating in the same manner to further insure alinement of the apparatus. The anchors are adjusted rotatively by means of levers N, secured to the stems '1', and each preferably has an aperture 8, in which a hook may be inserted.

The supply-pipe line J is preferably arranged permanently, so as to be convenient near the end of the boiler, and above the line is a sand-reservoir K, havinga restricted bottom in the shape of a funnel connected to the pipe J, as by a T J. tached to the pipe J between the supply-head and the reservoir and has a connecting-pipe J entering the top end of the reservoir, as at J whereby water may enter at the top of the sand and saturate it to cause it to flow freely as well as to equalize the pressure at both sides of the sand-supply. At the interior of the bottom of the reservoir K is a valve-seat R, upon which is a needle-valve S at the end of a stem S, the latter having flutes t and extending upward and through the top K, in which is a packing-box and suitably-arranged screws, whereby the stem and valve when the stem is engaged at the projecting end 6 and rotated may be raised and lowered to open and close the valve 8'. A filling-plug a is provided in the top end of the reservoir. The flutes 25 are for the purpose of agitating the sand; but other suitable means may be employed for this purpose. Usually the pipe J is connected with a forcepump for supplying water for the cleaning operation.

It should be understood that the sprayinghead is to be constructed in proportion with due regard to the diameter of the boiler, the diameters of the flues, and the spacing thereof with which the apparatus is to be used.

In operation the reservoir K is first charged with a supply of sand before admitting water to the line-pipe J, the manhole b in the head a of the boiler A is cleared, and the sprayinghead is inserted and set in a convenient position, so that the trunk D is suspended Vertically between two rows of flues, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Water under pressure is then charged with a suitable quantity of sand by opening the valve S, and jets from the nozzles E remove the deposits from the sides of the boiler and from the tops and bottoms of the flues, all parts of such surfaces being reached by rotating the trunk D. Then the spraying-head is transferred to a position upon the tops of the flues, as illustrated in Fig. 4, being reversible to operate at either side of the center, and the bottom of the boiler and sides of the flues are then cleaned, the trunk D being rotated as above, all mud and scale being cut loose, and such heavy particles as may lodge at the bottom of the boiler are easily removed through the bottom manhole invariably provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Boiler-cleaning apparatus including a head having a trunk swiveled therein provided with a plurality of nozzles, an anchor attached to the head for engaging boiler tubes or fines, and a device attached to the trunk of the head for the operation thereof.

2. A spraying device for cleaning boilers adapted to rotate and whereby a plurality of A branch J is at- 5 streams may be projected between the rows of flues in boilers and provided with an anchor operating with the flues either when the clelil ice is set vertically or when set horizonta y.

3. A spraying device including a head having a trunk swiveled therein provided with an apertured disk for the operation thereof and also having a plurality of nozzles, and an anchor swiveled to the head provided with an operating device therefor.

4t. Boiler-cleaning apparatus including a head having a trunk swiveled therein provided with a plurality of nozzles, an anchor. swiveled to the head, a supply-pipe connected with the head, and a reservoir connected at the bottom and at the top thereof with the supply-pipe.

5. The combination of a spraying-head comprising a rotative trunk provided with a plurality of nozzles discharging laterally from the side of the trunk, and a swiveled anchor adapted to be inserted between two fines and to rotate and engage the same at the under sides thereof.

6. The combination of a spraying-head having a rotative trunk provided with a plurality of nozzles, an anchor swiveled to the head, a gage attached to the head, and an apertured disk attached to the trunk of the head.

7; In boiler-cleaning apparatus, the combination with a boiler having flues set therein, of a spraying-head comprising an anchor and a gage and a rotative trunk provided With a plurality of nozzles discharging laterally from the side thereof, packing-rings in said head, a supply-pipe, and a reservoir connected at the bottom and at the top thereof to the supply-pipe and having a regulating-valve seated therein.

8. In a spraying-head, the combination of a case having a chamber therein, a rotative trunk journaled in the chamber and having lateral apertures communicating between the interior thereof and the chamber, packing-rings for the trunk, a plurality of nozzles set in the side of the trunk, and an anchor whereby the head may be securely connected thereto.

9. In boiler-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a chambered head having an apertured trunk swiveled therein provided with a plurality of nozzles, an anchor swiveled to the head, a branch attached to the head and provided with an anchor, an apertured disk attached to the trunk of the head, and a supply-pipe connected to the branch.

10. In boiler-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a chambered head having a swiveled trunk provided with nozzles, an operating-disk attached to the trunk, an anchor-head swiveled to the chambered head, an anchor swiveled to the anchor-head, and a lever attached to the anchor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANCIS L. EGAN.

Witnesses:

D. R. BATTY, E. T. SILvIUs. 

